Christmas Afternoon Tea at The Plaza
Hello Steepers! It’s December which means it’s time to explore some Christmas Afternoon Teas. Today we are back at The Plaza! Previously we visited The Palm Court in The Plaza Hotel for their Wicked Afternoon Tea Experience. Now we are back for the classic, iconic, Christmas, Holiday Afternoon Tea. Does it live up to the hype? Well, keep reading and let’s see!
A Little Bit of History: The Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel has been a premier destination for afternoon tea since its opening in 1907 (originally as the Palm Room, renamed in the 1930s). The hotel's cultural significance is tied to the children’s book series, Eloise, which features a mischievous girl who lives at the top of The Plaza. The Plaza’s fame soared following its appearance in the 1992 film, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, where Kevin McCallister stayed at The Plaza. Capitalizing on this cinematic history, The Palm Court offers a special Christmas-inspired afternoon tea to celebrate the season, making the holiday experience a highly sought-after tradition.
The Experience: Unlike when I went for the Wicked Afternoon Tea, to enter The Plaza during the Christmas season you must show your reservation details to enter the hotel lobby. This is necessary because during this time of year, people want to enter just to view the holiday decor within The Plaza. I can understand why because when entering The Plaza you are surrounded by a GORGEOUS tree display, underneath a stunning chandelier. Now while The Plaza is decorated beautifully for the Christmas season, most areas are blocked off for hotel guests only. So having reservations at The Palm Court, really only gets you into the lobby area and the entrance of The Palm Court. Don’t expect to be able to wander around and enjoy ALL the decorations of The Plaza without a hotel key.
So let’s talk about the decorations in The Palm Court itself. I was a little disappointed here. I expected a "Christmas explosion" to continue into the tea area, but the decor in The Palm Court was very muted. The bar had some silver and gold decorations, and there were a few other places that had more of the same, but they mostly just stuck with the palm tree theme. Maybe I built it up too much in my head, but I really was expecting them to lean in more to the Christmas theme with as much hype as this afternoon tea gets during the holiday season.
I wanted to make a quick note on dress code. They are not strict on the dress code though they recommend business casual. I’ve seen people with jeans, baseball caps, and sweatshirts roll up to this place and they are not turned away. I have also seen people REALLY DECKED OUT in formal wear. So it’s kind of a mixed bag.
Now let’s talk about the tea itself. The ingredients used were high quality, which may explain the high price point.
Sandwiches & Savories: English Cucumber Sandwich, Oven Roasted Turkey, Smoked Salmon w/ Osetra Caviar, Holiday Ham, Foie Gras Macaron
Scones: Freshly Baked Cranberry Ginger & Plain Scones, served with Devonshire Cream & Kalamansi Curd
Pastries & Sweets: Pistachio Rocher, Pumpkin Spiced Latte Pie, Pecan Tart, Blackcurrant Cheesecake, Plaza Apple
My favorite savory was the Holiday Ham sandwich. The ham was delicious. On the sweet side, the Blackcurrant cheesecake was cute with a white chocolate Santa face, though a little heavy on the blackcurrant flavor. However, the best item on the tiers were, once again, the scones. They are always so good!
In terms of tea, they give a HUGE teapot. For the first time, I did not need a refill (I usually need 2-3). You can ask for milk and honey on the side. You have to be mindful on the tea list because there are some upcharges that I did not realize and at a casual glance you wouldn’t note. One of the teas, Jukro, had a $15 surcharge listed because of "Grand Cru.” This was not mentioned to us when we ordered, but we missed the small “*” that explained the charge. "Grand Cru" means it's a premium, high-quality tea, but if I’m being honest, it did not taste special, which was annoying given the additional cost.
Since we were celebrating a birthday, they brought out a cute chocolate mousse cake. Definitely note on your reservation if you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Before we paid, we also received a small chocolate box with four holiday themed chocolates as a cute to-go gift. Service at the Plaza has always been great. Our server was very nice, though I wished he confirmed the upcharge on the tea before we ordered. To be fair, it is listed in small letters. I just never experienced an afternoon tea with an upcharge on the teas before, so it was easy to overlook.
As mentioned in a previous blog, there is a HUGE upcharge for alcohol, especially champagne. For example: The Louis Roederer Brut option raises the price from $160pp to $190pp. The Duval-Leroy Rosé Prestige costs $197pp, and the Louis Roederer Cristal makes it $227pp.
The menu also included a more extensive list of other drinks:
Signature Cocktails
Wine List (Red, White, etc.)
These started at $30+ per serving, offering alternatives to the champagne selections, but everything was PRICEY.
As of Today: The Holiday Signature Tea is $160 per person and served daily from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. During this time, ONLY the tea experiences are served. They have a few different themed tea experiences. You can check out the current menus here. The Christmas Tea kicked off mid-November and will continue until New Year’s. Reservations open in October and are tough to get in December, but be persistent! We saw a cancelation for six in real-time!
My Rating: 4/5 teacups! This is a memorable, touristy experience with high-quality food and good service. I'm happy I did the Christmas tea once (and the Plaza twice with the Wicked Afternoon Tea), but due to the high cost and the Christmas theme not carrying over strongly to the tea room itself, I likely won't make a return visit. This is EXPENSIVE and not practical for the casual Afternoon Tea goer. However, I did have a good time.
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